PUNJAB: It has been four years since 18 girls aged between 9 and 14 years wearing white T-shirts and pants with the jersey numbers and their names printed on the back have been practising cricket in a ground carved out from an agricultural field in Dharoki village of Patiala district. Punjab Police constable Gulab Singh Shergill (34) is their coach who spends from the limited funds he has to run an all-girls cricket academy.
When Shergill thought of launching his endeavour, he was a young recruit in the state police in 2016. He took the first step as soon as probation got over in 2019.
“The girls’ enthusiasm prompted me to get started. I thought I had an opportunity to train them because children in villages do not get the required guidance in sports,” recalls Gulab.
However, there was no playground in the village. That was the reason why Gulab could not become a well-trained sportsman. “I would still play and take the harvested crops to other states to make a living,’’ he says. During a visit to Gujarat, Gulab saw a few villages having their own playfields. “That led me to think on similar lines.”
Gulab would save from his income to arrange land. However, it all came to naught when he had to sell the harvesting combine following losses. It pained him when he saw girls and boys accompanied by their parents from his village walk to other villages to train for various sports.
“In 2016, I cleared tests to join Punjab Police. After two-year probation, I decided to focus on my cherished dream to coach the budding youth of my village. I saved money to arrange a playground in our village,” says Gulab.
He started off on August 5, 2019, with only three children with a cricket mat on the roof of my house in the village. He hired a coach Abishek Jalota of Punjab Public School PPS Nabha, as he was running his own academy.
Jalota coached for 10 months on the roof of my house. “In April 2020, we shifted to a ground that measured not more than an acre which I carved out of my own fields for training only three girls.” Then Covid stuck so the children were confined to their house and mobile phones. “I went from house to house in my village to persuade parents to send their girls to play cricket to keep them off TV. The number of girls joining me rose to 10.
“In July 2021, three of our girls played for the Sangrur district team under-19 at the Punjab Cricket Association and last year, two girls were selected for the under-15 for district Sangrur. This year trials have been conducted in district Patiala but short-listing is due. I expect seven girls from our village might make it to the Patiala under-15 girls team,’’ he said.
The girls of the village are coached for three hours daily, depending on the weather, from 4.30 to 7.30 pm.
Gulab says some girls play on the cricket mat. “We also have two cement pitches for practice. We also got four bamboo poles with lights being installed for the net practice during evening hours. “Every Sunday and on holiday, the girls play for five hours,’’ he says.
“I have not taken any financial help from anyone as I spend from my own pocket. All I want is girls which I coach should play for India,’’ he added.
“I take all the girls to watch the IPL and to matches played at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) cricket stadium at Mohali. The PCA sponsors the tickets for the girls. Also the players meet these girls and this boosts their morale,’’ he said.